SANTA MONICA—Coast, presented by Metro, will hold Santa Monica’s first open street event on June 5 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to a press release from the city of Santa Monica. The event will be held around the Downtown Santa Monica Expo station.

Two miles of downtown streets will be car-free and set up with art, music, food and other activities for guests of the event. Guests are encouraged to use public transit or nonmotorized transportation to get to the event.

Pedestrian and bike access will be provided along Main Street from Marine to Colorado, Colorado from Ocean to 5th Street, and Ocean from Colorado to Wilshire. The new bike path along Metro’s Expo route will also be open and 107 bikeways throughout Santa Monica. Any Metro line can be connected to the Expo line and bikes are allowed on all Metro trains.

Coast “commemorates the beginning of Expo and celebrates Santa Monica as a multi-modal city with three new Expo light rail stations, six new Big Blue Bus routes, 75 Breeze Bike Share stations, 105 miles of bike lanes, and addition of Zipcar, among other car sharing options,” states the press release.

Local businesses are encouraged to open their doors and participate in the event by offering specials. Specials can be submitted through Buy Local Santa Monica.

Some highlights to the event include:

  • A Mobility Hub at 1855 Main St., where guests can get free TAP cards and other gear, while learning about how to use the new transportation options.
  • Viver Brasil will do a Bahian Carnival spectacle along Ocean Avenue with drummers, dancers, and Capoeristas.
  • Community classes will be offered from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in Palisades Park, including Zumba, cardio dancing, hula hooping, and groove.
  • Santa Monica Conservancy Tours every half hour from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  • Santa Monica Community Gardens will have hands-on activities from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., including cultivating local food, flora, and biodiversity.
  • Camera Obscura Art Lab at 1450 Ocean Ave. will hold art demonstrations from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., including weaving, watercolors, portraiture, printmaking, collage and sumi painting.

There is a Facebook event page for Coast titled “Coast- Santa Monica’s Open Streets Event.” The event page already has 1,300 people planning on going and 3,100 people interested in the event.